We've got a packed newsletter this month, so
let's get straight into it!

1. Learning disabilities and learning difficulties

October is learning disabilities month in the US, so we thought we would dedicate
this edition of the newsletter to the subject.
Learning disabilities and learning difficulties take a variety of forms, whether
it be dyslexia, dyspraxia or ADHD. In fact there are now so many different labels
for them that it's little wonder that parents and even teachers are confused by
their meaning.

Learning disabilities generally fall into two categories - global learning disabilities
and specific learning disabilities. Children with global learning disabilities tend
to struggle in all elements of learning, and in the past were labelled 'slow learners'.
They would usually perform poorly in IQ tests.

Specific learning disability sufferers, on the other hand, are usually of average
or even high intelligence, but still struggle with specific disciplines such as
reading or writing.

Question: We know the earlier a child gets help with a learning difficulty, the
better the results. What are some of the classic warning signs, or possible predictors
of problems in school, parents should be aware of? Do the "labels" often assigned
to children with school problems help or hurt?

Answer: In the olden days, railroad crossings had signs saying Stop! Look! Listen!
Those words are still valuable today. We need to Stop and give ourselves time and
space to understand what's going on around us. We need to Look for danger or caution
flags to avoid colliding with onrushing trains. We also need to Listen. As children
grow and venture beyond the safety of home, it is as if they are approaching a railroad
crossing, and an intersection with school, community and the world. To understand
warning signals, you, as a parent, need to Stop! Look! Listen!

Many academic difficulties are language based, so the first place to look for red
flags is in the language system. Here are six areas:

The age at which a child starts to speak can indicate that child's comfort with
language. Children who understand and use words easily have figured out that the
sounds people make in conversation represent different things and people in the
world: "Ma-Ma," "cookie," or "baby." First, children begin to understand the language
they hear, then they mimic language in return. Most adults take this for granted,
but we must Stop! and appreciate what a complex task the child is performing. Some
children catch on to words early. For others, language is a hard game or a difficult
system. These
children are sending a warning signal. If spoken language is difficult or unappealing,
usually written language (reading and writing, letters and numbers) will be too.

Receptive language is what the child takes in, first through listening and later
through listening and reading. You as a parent need to notice whether your child's
receptive language channel works effectively. Does your child enjoy listening to
stories? Can your child tell you what happened in the story? Can your child remember
the high points (or the details) of yesterday's story? Does your child absorb those
pieces of family news they're not meant to hear: Uncle Ernie's on a binge, or why
does Aunt Sophie wear those eyelashes at her age?

Children who absorb such information comfortably are demonstrating good receptive
language skills. Children who are uninterested in stories, do not follow and remember
a story line, or don't pick up news from conversation are flying a danger flag.
They will miss news, explanations, questions, and concepts now. Later on, the process
of reading may either not make sense to them or may be too difficult. At all ages,
we need to Stop! Look! and Listen! to a child's receptive language.

Expressive language is the vehicle for giving out ideas, questions, emotions, or
facts. In normal development, children practice expressively what they have taken
in receptively. Parents need to Listen!

Does your child use pronouns, plurals, and verb tenses correctly? Most children
are reasonably accurate by first grade. The elementary school child who says, "Here
are the thingies I branged for Tom and I" is telling us a lot. Can your child retrieve
needed words smoothly? The child who strains when trying to use such words as "marker,"
"basketball," or "peanut butter" is, in effect, saying, "Listen! I have trouble
finding the words I need."

Does your child keep sounds in correct sequence or do individual sounds or syllables
slide around? Is it an "elephant" or an "ephelant"? A "hamburger" or a "hanga-burger"?
A "birthday party" or a "birthparty day"? Children who tangle their sound sequences
in spontaneous speech are warning us they will probably have trouble stringing sounds
together when trying to read words, or breaking sounds apart when trying to spell.

Litter and clutter are warning signals. Most children can say what they mean so
that others can understand them. Children who have trouble getting to the point,
who litter and clutter their speech with distracting, unnecessary information, are
telling us their thought processes don't go straight to the target. This difficulty
will hamper their reading, classroom discussion and, above all, their writing all
the way through school ... and life. They need help.

Some children have trouble with the mechanics of reading, writing, spelling and
arithmetic. It takes them a long time to learn their letter sounds and to recognize
sight words. They may have trouble with pencil grip and handwriting. In the manner
of many beginners, they may reverse their letters or numerals. Unfortunately, some
children today never receive direct instruction in these early level mechanical
skills. But research shows all children need this information. Those who still struggle
after instruction that works for their peers need multi-sensory instruction which
brings together eyes, ears, fingers, and muscles.

Some children have trouble organizing themselves in time and space. They aren't
sure where things belong, what to do first, and what comes last. These concepts
underlie smooth function in the adult world as well as in childhood. "Nexterday"
is a long time coming. Lots of kids have trouble with the vocabulary of time and
space - later, until, whenever, in a while, on time, at two o'clock. Teach these
words to your child as if they were terms in a foreign language. For some children
they are. Build the structure of time and space into your family life as soon as
possible. Since apples don't fall far from trees, you might give yourself some help,
too.

Some children misunderstand social cues. They don't know how to ask to join a game
or to negotiate sharing or taking turns. Children who are isolated, or who isolate
themselves by their behavior, don't do well on group projects or in team sports,
are seldom elected to class office, and usually sit home alone when others are at
birthday parties. The sadness, anger, or frustration born of being "out" may interfere
with concentration, memory, and general availability for school work, not to mention
fun.

Are labels helpful or harmful?
Let me tell you about my boatshed and me. At summer's end, our family puts the canoe,
the paddles, lifejackets, Frisbees, and fishing gear, along with any unused canned
goods, in the boatshed. One year, by mistake, we left the cans on the floor where
they sloshed around in surging winter storm water. In June, the cans were there,
intact, but their labels had soaked off. Although I could identify a can of soup,
I had no idea whether it was shrimp bisque, chicken with stars, split pea, or jellied
consomme. Was this can baked beans, artichoke hearts, or stewed tomatoes? Which
was for kids, which would be delicious with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of
curry? Which needed to be piping hot, which chilled? For the food offered to match
the appetite of the recipient, we needed to know what was what and who was ready
for lunch.

The same is true for children and schooling. If Martha or Sam has trouble learning
letter sounds, we need to prepare multisensory training. If Joe and Dawn have trouble
with reading comprehension because they have weak receptive language, let's say
so, and target some specific help. If Jamil goes through math like a buzz saw, but
can't remember how to spell "friend," let's give him scope with numbers and help
with spelling. We need to Stop! Look! and Listen! Then we need to use the information
we gather to make a good plan. Labels are dangerous when they replace a person's
humanity and individuality, but they are invaluable when they provide the precise
terminology to decide who needs what, when, where, why, and how.

After all, what's to be gained by giving watery broth to a student ready for hearty
stew, or clam chowder to someone allergic to fish?

3. Recommended websites

Here are a few websites that give some invaluable information on a wide variety
of topics relating to learning disabilities. They are based in the US, UK and Australia.

If you feel concerned that your child may have a learning disability or learning
difficulty, it is definitely worth seeking advice from experts, who will be able
to perform an analysis on your child. Below we have listed some of the main associations
and institutes in the English-speaking world, with addresses and contact details: